Q: Can you explain the difference between the Laws of the Blood series and the Primes Universe? Would you like to do more in the Laws series? Do you do any crossovers between the two series, like putting a character from one in the other?SS: The Laws of the Blood are vampire stories with romantic elements. The Primes books are romance stories with vampires. Laws are urban fantasy, Primes are paranormal romance. Laws vampires are created with black magic. Prime vampires are born vampires.

I would very much love to do more Laws of the Blood books and plan to in the future. The most current Laws story is a novella, "Cave Canem" in the FIRST BLOOD anthology.

Crossover with the Laws and Primes....I don't think so. They aren't compatible universes. However, Alexis Morgan and I will be doing a Primes/Paladins crossover anthology. We've been wanting to play in each others' universes for a long time and our publisher, Pocket, told us to go ahead and do it.

Q: Why vampires? What, about vampires, appeals to you?SS: I can't recall a time when I wasn't interested in vampires. I guess the notion of the vampire as hero goes all the way back to Barnabas Collins in DARK SHADOWS. But vampire as lust object began for me with Frank Langella's Dracula. Then Anne Rice and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Fred Saberhagen and FOREVER KNIGHT came up with great twists on vampire universes and I wanted to play too.

Q: Any vampire myths you break? What is the one myth you’ve created about vampires you enjoy the most?

SS: The fun thing about vampires is that we get to make up our own myths. Not all vampires need to drink blood or sleep in coffins or in their ancestral earth or have a compulsion to count or have trouble crossing running water or fear garlic. So many of the "myths" are fictions made up by Stoker, Hammer horror movies, Rice, and all of us that create vampire fiction. It is fiction. We get to play. My Laws vampires react to sunlight by passing out. The Primes vampires take medications that help them lead "normal" lives. My Laws vampires are immortal -- at the price of having to kill and consume mortals. The Primes vampires are long-lived but still mortal. I've never written a vampire who can fly (except in the FOREVER KNIGHT book I wrote, in that universe flying vampires are possible, but I didn't make up the universe, just got to play in it) or shape shift. No, wait, Istvan in LAWS OF THE BLOOD: COMPANIONS can shape shift and fly, but he's a dhamphir so rules of regular vamps in that universe don't apply to him.

The one thing I enjoy most about the vampires in the universes I've created is using the vampire as metaphor for ethnic/cultural minorities. It's great fun developing cultures, cuisines and customs and histories and how they behave at home and with each other.

Q: You write in many genres. Do you have a favorite?

SS: Whatever genre I'm writing in at the time is my favorite. For example, earlier this summer I got quite a bit done on an epic fantasy novel, BLUE DEATH. Then it became time to start the next Primes book, PRIMAL INSTINCTS. I whined and complained that I didn't want to leave fantasy, but now that I'm deeply into the vampire book I'm having a ball writing it.Q: What is your next vampire story that fans can look forward to? Anything else you’d like us to know about upcoming releases?

SS: My next vampire book is DARK STRANGER, which will be out in October 3009. DARK STRANGER is a Primes book, but with a twist: the book has a futuristic setting. Hero, Matthias Raven is a Clan Prime, a doctor and a marine general (a catch, ladies!) and Zoe Pappas, the heroine is a princess, heiress to a space empire. Those who have read PRIMAL NEEDS will recognize DARK STRANGER as the book Sid was reading out loud to Joe while they drove to Los Angeles. DARK STRANGER is the first of a series of books I plan called THE VAMPIRE BOOK CLUB - these will all be stories that are written and read by the females in the Primes universe. This is my way of making the Primes culture more complex while also getting to tell some stories that are related to the Primes but with some different twists and angles.

Q: You mention Queensryche as influence for your Prime series. What other music do you listen to when writing vampires?

SS: Queensryche isn't supposed to be an influence on the Primes. The Ryche has always been the music I listen to while working on Laws of the Blood books However, I'm finding that latest Primes book, which features a romance between two vampires, is turning out with an edginess that suits listening to Queensryche while writing.

I listen to lots of different music while writing. Very fond of movie soundtracks. The DEFIANCE soundtrack is a favorite at the moment.

Q: Here’s the same 5 quickie questions we ask all authors:

Dark or Light?

Gray

Historical or Modern?

Futuristic

Fav vamp movie of TV show?

Forever Knight forever

Bagged or From The Neck?

Neck

Dead or Undead?

Undead!

Please visit Susan at her website: susansizemore.comAt her site you'll find lots of great information and even some free reads!

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